rubio only has tea party appeal, but mass appeal. that is why his speech is so important, what he represents about the party's future. host: the tea party is also being represented in a separate response by senator rand paul. what does that suggest about the tea party influence in washington, and who speaks for them? guest: a great question. unlike a lot of things in the republican party right now, a lot of disarray, a lot of confusion. rimpau and marco rubio are not necessarily competitors. they consider themselves allies. rand paul is another potential 2016 contender. he is trying to take his father's mantle with the libertarian movement. he wants to speak to those voters tonight, not just tea party voters. he has a message for them. host: a number of stories over the past week about the challenge of delivering a rebuttal speech. the format has changed from year to year. the venue sometimes has not been a career-enhancing move. and what is involved with taking on this assignment for any politician? guest: i want to jump on what rob